Reclamation (The Ravening 3)

Our footsteps were muffled by the floor beneath us as we moved forward. It wasn't carpet underfoot, but the material the floor was made out of was almost spongy beneath my feet as it gave way a little with each step. The doors on either side of me were a white crystalline color that resembled the crystals in the main room and the one that I had thrown away all those years ago. The more I studied the doors though, the more I realized that they were made up of a different type of stone as they gradually began to change color to a deeper pink. By the time we made it to the end of the hall they were all a deep orange and becoming steadily redder.

At the end of the hall was another wall with stairs that curled upward. "How much time did you spend up here before?" I asked Jessica as she bypassed the stairs and moved down another hall.

"It took me two days to find the Hallowed room and a whole lot of wrong turns."

I imagined that it had as she stopped before a different alcove. She took a deep breath, set her shoulders and took a step forward. I watched as the step appeared but instead of going up or forward, it began a steady descent straight down. For the first ten feet I could see her head and then the floor reformed beneath me. Walls enveloped me as I stepped onto the stair behind her and began my descent into the bowels of the ship once more.

After what we had seen in the last basement area, I wasn't looking forward to this, but as the stair reached the bottom I discovered we were only in another hall. Jessica waited till everyone had arrived before nodding toward the right and creeping forward. Following behind, I kept my breathing as silent as possible as we moved onward.

We rounded a corner and a massive, arched door came into view at the end of the hall. It was made of the same crystal as the other doors but it was a lot larger and an angry, mottled red. Jessica stopped before the door and pointed to the pad next to it. I recognized instantly that a sample of our DNA would be needed to get the doors to open. Only it wasn't our DNA that this pad would accept. My hands fell to the bombs tucked within my shirt as I studied the formidable door before us. I wasn't sure they would be enough to get us through the layer of rock currently blocking our path.

"Are you sure this is it?" Betty asked.

"The only other area of the ship that I was never able to gain access to was the corridor that The Ancients slept in. However I don't think they would keep The Fountain in the same area as their sleeping quarters. I don't know where else the Hallowed room would be, and judging by the size of this crystal I would assume there's something important being protected by it," Jessica answered.

"This is the only chance we have, if we use one of those bombs it's all over for us. They'll know we're here," Craig said.

"We always knew it was likely that we weren't getting off of this ship," I said as I pulled a bomb out.

"Better make it two," Steve said.

"That could bring the ceiling down on us."

He glanced at the walls above us and nodded. "You're right, let's just hope one will be enough."

I was thinking the same thing as they retreated around the corner and I pulled the lighter from my pocket. I took a deep breath, lit the fuse and placed it firmly against the crystal wall. Turning, I sped down the hall and around the corner where I braced myself for the explosion. The force of the blast caused the ship to lurch beneath my feet. I was thrown against the wall but managed to catch my balance before I fell over completely.

Sirens began to blare and orange strobe lights flashed over the walls and floor in a dizzying pattern. If the bomb hadn't alerted everyone to our presence on board, there was definitely no hiding it now. Pushing off the wall, I braced myself before stepping around the corner. The bomb hadn't completely destroyed the crystal, but it had knocked a good four foot round hole into the base of it.

"Let's go," I said as I hurried toward a room I was certain no one other than The Ancients had ever entered into.

Chapter 21

Bethany,

"Bethany." Bishop stuck the cotton ball against my arm as Aiden appeared in the doorway of the small house we had chosen to use as a makeshift research facility. Bishop had uncovered a small microscope and a couple of slides in a teenager's room. He'd found some needles in a medicine cabinet beside some insulin. It wasn't much, but he had chosen today to return to examining my blood. I wasn't enjoying being stuck again, but I was actually grateful for the distraction from thoughts of Cade that he was providing. The look in Aiden's eyes caused me to jump off the chair I had been perched upon though.

"What is it?" I demanded.

"The ship."

A sick feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I grabbed my gun from the table and hurried toward the doorway. The ship hovering in the distance appeared perfectly normal except for the small puff of smoke that was now trailing from the side of it. My heart plummeted into my feet; it took me a minute to catch my breath as terror constricted my chest and tears clogged my throat.

I would have much preferred to have been on that ship, to know what was going on, what he was doing and if he was ok. I understood that I couldn't be there, but as I watched the last of the smoke drift away I would have given anything to be with him.

"Cade," I breathed.

Lloyd looked at me over his shoulder as Bret squeezed my arm. "I'm sure he's fine," Bret assured me.

I nodded but I didn't believe him. Molly stepped forward and took both of Aiden's hands within hers as I waited breathlessly for something more to happen. I didn't know how much time passed but it felt like hours as my muscles became rigid and my neck was so stiff I could barely move it. The sound of Bishop's steps on the porch finally tore my attention away from the ship. "I have something to show you."

I frowned at Bret and Aiden as the doctor retreated into the house again. Forcing one foot in front of the other I followed Bishop into the house. I felt as if I'd just downed twenty sodas as my hands wouldn't stop fidgeting and jumping everywhere as I hovered behind the doctor. It was taking everything I had not to return outside to watch the ship, but driving myself crazy wasn't going to do anyone any good.

"Take a look," Bishop said and gestured toward the microscope set up on the table.

Uncertain if I wanted to see what it would reveal, I took a deep breath and cautiously approached it. Bending down I peered through the lens to the slide before me. As I watched one cell began to mix and blend with another. The invaded cell shriveled like a raisin and appeared to die.

"What am I looking at?" I was happy that my voice didn't shake.